1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to magnetic heads that are utilized with thin film hard disk data storage devices, and more particularly to the design and fabrication of a magnetic head having a storage media heating device formed adjacent to a first magnetic pole of the write head components of the magnetic heads.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known to those skilled in the art, standard magnetic heads include write head elements that include two magnetic poles, commonly termed the P1 and P2 poles, with a write gap layer formed between them. During a data recording procedure, the passage of magnetic flux across the write gap between the two poles creates a magnetic field which influences a thin film layer of magnetic media on a hard disk that is located proximate the magnetic head, such that the changing magnetic flux creates data bits within the magnetic media.
The continual quest for higher data recording densities of the magnetic media demands smaller bit cells, in which the volume of recording material (grains) in the cells is decreased and/or the coercivity (Hc) is increased. When the bit cell size is sufficiently reduced, the problem of the superparamagnetic limit will provide a physical limit of the magnetic recording areal density. Present methods to delay the onset of this limit in storage media include fabricating smaller magnetic grains that are decoupled from each other and which have very high coercivity. Additionally, write head technology methods include the use of higher magnetic moment materials, and using thermally assisted recording heads. The present invention relates to such thermally assisted recording heads in which a heating device is disposed within the magnetic head. Heat from the magnetic head temporarily reduces the localized coercivity of the media, such that the magnetic head is able to record data bits within the magnetic media. Once the disk returns to ambient temperature, the very high coercivity of the magnetic media provides the bit latency necessary for the recorded data disk.